


Don't let them look through the curtains

by FreckledSaint



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Aaron Burr centric, Abuse, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Child Abuse, Gen, Please protect my son Aaron, Sad Aaron Burr
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-14
Updated: 2018-05-20
Packaged: 2018-09-17 11:53:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 18,774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9322445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FreckledSaint/pseuds/FreckledSaint
Summary: Aaron Burr was a freshman at Yorktown High and a bright, ambitious student. Aaron Burr lived a quiet life, ostracized and bullied, but a quiet life still.Until Alexander Hamilton showed up.





	1. Chapter 1

Talk less. Smile more.

Those words governed Aaron Burr Jr.’s life. They helped him get through the car crash that took his parents away from him. They helped him when his beloved sister, Sally, ran away. They helped him live with his uncle Timothy. He smiled through it all and stayed quiet. He was good at it, great actually.

Aaron Burr was a freshman at Yorktown High and a bright, ambitious student. Unfortunately, his fellow classmates were not too fond of him, partly because Aaron was the stern kid from New Jersey who never socialized with anyone. They saw him as a stuck up, he was a Burr after all, a rather powerful name in New Jersey. So they ostracized him.

Aaron Burr ignored them, spending his days reading books and talking to his only friend, James Madison. 

However, lately James and he have been talking less and less at school because of Thomas Jefferson. From what James had told him, Thomas Jefferson is a very “passionate” soul and keeps him busy during class. Aaron had met him once and he had to agree with James, Thomas Jefferson is energetic compared to both himself and James. Aaron didn’t mind him much, he was happy that James had a friend. He could always invite James home; his uncle did not mind him and allowed the latter to visit every now and then. James’ visits were always something Aaron looked forward to. And so Aaron Burr Jr. lived a quiet life, ostracized and bullied, but a quiet life still.

Until Alexander Hamilton showed up.

Alexander Hamilton took the school by storm. To Aaron, he was obnoxious, arrogant, loudmouthed, bother who somehow became one of the most popular kids in school. Alexander Hamilton was friends with the equally obnoxious and loudmouthed bothers knows as John Laurens, Hercules Mulligan, and Lafayette. The four of them were always together, whether they were picking a fight with the sophomores, specifically Thomas Jefferson, or with Aaron himself. 

And just Aaron’s luck, they were in the same class. 

“You must be out of your GOD. DAMN. MIND.”

“Enough! Jefferson, sit down. Hamilton,”

“Sir?”

“A word.”

Aaron watched in amusement as Hamilton followed an obviously angry Mr. Washington out the classroom door and chuckled to himself. Twenty minutes in their joint class with the sophomores and Hamilton was already trying to tear Jefferson apart. He looked over at James and gave him a sympathetic smile as his friend tried to calm Jefferson down.

Both the sophomores and the freshmen were buzzing with excitement. Aaron supposed that it’s not every day you get to witness an intense argument escalate into a pseudo rap battle.

“Man, this debate was on fire!”

Aaron already knew who said that. It was Alexander Hamilton’s friend, John Laurens, talking to Lafayette and Hercules Mulligan. Aaron bet the boys were leaning in their chairs. 

“Our Alex is simply passionate about his opinions, that’s all,” said Lafayette. Passionate huh, Aaron thought, you could describe Jefferson “passionate”, but Hamilton once called him the bane of humankind. He could not help but cringe at that. Alexander Hamilton exhibited absolutely no restraint whatsoever, not a drop of self-control. Every time they discussed something in class, Hamilton would start to argue. He was rude and at times reckless. He uses up half the lesson doing so. Thankfully, Hamilton and his friends usually ignored him.

Usually. For some unholy reason, all four of them, Hamilton, Laurens, Mulligan, and Lafayette were paying more and more attention to him as of late. Aaron could not understand why they paid attention to him in the first place. Considering Hamilton called him a “spineless man with no opinions or loyalties”, Laurens started to shove him around ever since he refused to go to several of his parties, Mulligan made fun of his clothes behind his back, and Lafayette called him “the worst” several times. So why would they pay unnecessary attention to him was beyond him. 

“Pull yourself together, young man,” Mr. Washington said severely before collecting himself. “Sophomores, go back to your classroom. I’ll come and see you next period.”

The older student slowly made their out of the class. James walked past Aaron and discreetly left a little paper note and gave him a kind smile before following Jefferson out the door.

Gingerly opening the piece of paper, it read: That was intense, wasn’t it? I’m in for an earful. I hope Washington spares you from Hamilton’s upcoming rant.  
-James  
“Burr,” Alexander said from behind, “what do you think about the subject?”

Aaron clutched James’ note tightly in his hands as he felt his chest tighten. He could feel his classmates staring, he felt Hamilton staring at him. This is exactly why Hamilton is obnoxious, not five minutes pass before he decides to start another debate.

“Hamilton.” Mr. Washington stared at the boy. “We just talked about this and yet you’re at it again.”

“At what again, sir?” Hamilton asked. “I simply want to know the opinion of my fellow classmate, who happens to be the ever quiet Aaron Burr.”

Aaron felt anger bubble within; he knew exactly what Hamilton was getting at, he knew exactly what he wanted. If he gave in and shared his opinion, Hamilton would be delighted and never leave him alone afterwards, or he keeps quiet and continues living his school life the way he is now. Option 2 was definitely more appealing, it felt like the lesser of the two evils so he faced Alexander Hamilton and calmly said, “I don’t feel comfortable sharing my opinion because I don’t think I have enough knowledge to confidently share my thoughts on this topic.”

Mr. Washington smiled, but then Hamilton yelled,

“That’s absolute BULLSHIT.”

“Alexander Hamilton, watch your mouth!” Mr. Washington slammed his desk, startling Aaron to his core.

“I’m sorry sir, but this is absolutely ridiculous!” Hamilton’s voice increased in volume and anger; Aaron snapped his head back and saw Hamilton pointing him angrily. “Burr is one of the best performing students in Yorktown High and yet, and yet he says that he doesn’t have enough knowledge on the subject!”

“Hamilton, unless you wish to earn a suspension, I suggest you sit down and keep quiet until class ends.” Mr. Washington sounded stern and dangerous. Aaron wanted nothing more than to tell Hamilton to shut the fuck up, instead he kept his cool despite his frustrations. 

“Sir!”

“Alex. No. Don’t.” Mulligan must’ve pulled Hamilton down because Aaron heard him sit down. He felt relief rush over him and he looked at James’ notes before placing it gently back in his planner. He heard snickering in the back but Aaron kept his mouth shut and bitterly smiled at the little note before he closed his planner.

Talk less. Smile more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I hope you enjoyed chapter one of this story! I'll try to update this story weekly but no promises. Please leave comments down below, they are very appreciated!


	2. Chapter 2

“Aaron, come here this instance.”

Aaron silently walked over to his uncle, head lowered and breathing shakily. His uncle Timothy was inspecting his backpack and phone. He always checked his bag and phone every day after school to make sure Aaron was not associating with the wrong crowd. At least that is how his uncle explained it to him.

Aaron stood in front of his uncle, watching him place his phone into his hands. “Who exactly is this?” his uncle demanded. Aaron looked down at the screen and saw a contact saved as Fight me Burr. One look at it and he knew this was Hamilton’s doing, since they took his phone after Mr. Washington’s disastrous class. “Aaron. Did I not tell you this kind of behavior is unacceptable in my household? If you had told me about this the moment you arrived home, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

“Uncle Timothy, sir, I didn’t know about this conta-“

Ding

The phone lit up. Aaron was petrified when his uncle ordered him to read it aloud. “Aaron Burr, sir. Meet us behind the school gym. We have an offer that we are sure you will not be able to resist. – The Squad” He was furious. He was livid. All four them were absolute idiots. His hands were shaking and took a step back. He was in terror and froze when his uncle grabbed his arm. 

“Did I dismiss you?”

“No, sir.”

His uncle took the phone away and placed it in his pocket; Aaron noticed a small smile form on his uncle’s face. He did not know what to expect, he watched cautiously Timothy walk behind him and wanted to disappear when he felt his head be petted.

“Aaron, if you weren’t my sister’s son, you’d probably be in an orphanage. Who else other than me cares for you?” Timothy inquired sternly. “I feed you, bathe you, and provide you a roof over your head. I do so much for you and yet you repay me with lies and associating with hooligans.” He held his breath as he was roughly turned around. “Look me in the eye when I speak to you.”

Aaron lifted his head, shivering underneath his uncle’s stern stare. “Uncle Timothy, sir, I know you give me more than I deserve but I did not willingly give them my number. Allow me to expla-“

“Then why did you receive this text message?” Timothy snapped, slapping his nephew’s left cheek. “You useless child! I should have put you up for adoption after you drove your sister away. I give you so much and the only thing I ask if for you to be a good, well-behaved child. Why can’t you do as you are told? Are you that stupid?”

Timothy shoved Aaron to the side and left room they were in, slamming the door shut. Aaron knew the drill and quickly pulled the curtains down before returning to where he stood, arms slightly extended forward and palms open. He knew he was going to be caned. This happened before already so, he wasn’t surprised, but it didn’t make it any less painful. Fighting the urge to close his hands into a fist, he waited for his uncle to return. 

Aaron waited five minutes, ten minutes. He stood patiently and observed the fading scars on his arms. He wondered if they would ever truly disappear. It has been a while since his uncle used the cane. He remembered the first time his uncle used the rattan came on him. Hit him five times across both palms. He felt sick recalling the hurting of it. 

Lost in his thoughts and his back facing the door, Aaron cried out in pain when he suddenly felt a harsh strike across his back. Nevertheless, he kept his palms open as his uncle walked in front of him and lashed the cane across his hands. Hot tears fell down his cheeks as he tried to stay still, knowing if he’d move he would be hit again. 

“You’re too sensitive, Aaron,” his uncle said, clearly disappointed and disgusted. “I want you to understand that if you had been honest with me, if you weren’t a loathsome attention-seeking brat, you would not have been punished. Every punishment you receive is because you were misbehaving.”

Aaron shut his eyes and tried to suppress his tears. He did not want to misbehave; he did not want to be hit. Feeling his back and hands ache, Aaron just wanted to be at the Madison house; he wanted to see James. 

Aaron gasped as he felt his uncle wipe his tears away. “Everything I do is for you, Aaron. Every punishment I give you is because I want you to grow up to be a good person. How will you be good if I don’t discipline you? You understand, right?” Timothy said softly whilst he pulled his nephew into a gentle hug.

Aaron’s breathing quickened; he wanted to pull away from the embrace but instead he hugged him back and nodded into his uncle’s shoulder. He tightened his hold on his uncle as he felt Timothy lovingly rub his back, even though the pain inflicted was still very prominent. 

“That’s wonderful. It’s wonderful that you understand why I am doing this. You wanted to go see James today, didn’t you? I know you do. I’ll let you see him today, alright Aaron? I’ll forgive you for your behavior today.” Aaron yipped, feeling his uncle dig his nails into his back and he knew tears were welling up again. “I’ll forgive you this once, but you are to never hide anything from me again. I will not tolerate attention-seeking liars in this house. Did I make myself clear?”

“Yes, sir,” Aaron responded in a hushed voice. He was happy he was forgiven yet he was also confused. He didn’t lie to his uncle, or did he? He didn’t associate with Hamilton and his friends, but then why was Uncle Timothy upset? He did explain himself. He is certain he did. His uncle struck him though, so he must have been lying. Aaron wracked his mind over this as he prepared to leave the house and see his dear friend. 

He slipped into his worn-out pair of black sneakers and put on one of his many hoodies, a purple one this time. He looked himself into the mirror and hoped he looked presentable. Aaron rubbed his cheek, wincing in discomfort. I hope this won’t bruise, he thought. 

Before leaving, Timothy grabbed Aaron’s arm and held it tightly in his grip. “You are to be home by half past eight. If you are even a minute late, you will not eat dinner. Understand?”

“I understand, sir.”

Timothy patted Aaron’s head and smiled kindly at him before seeing him off and closing the door after him. I will raise this boy to be a good, honest man, thought Timothy, I will discipline as harshly as I need and want to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm glad that quite a few people left kudos on Chapter 1! I hope you enjoy this chapter as well, even though it is much darker than the previous chapter. Next chapter, we'll see more James and Aaron interactions so keep your eyes peeled for that! Tell me what you think of this chapter. Comments are highly appreciated!


	3. Chapter 3

James Madison was an older brother to eight younger siblings. If anyone had experience calming people down, it was him. He was confident in his abilities to comfort others, hell, he comforted Thomas whenever he was feeling down.

However, none of the people he dealt with were abused at home.

James held Aaron close to his chest as the latter cried quietly. He knew something was wrong the moment he saw Aaron. The way he walked and carried himself gave it away. Maybe not to someone like Hamilton and his friends, but James knew. He knew that his friend’s so-called-uncle struck him. This was not the first time, and to his dismay, probably not the last.

Coaxing Aaron to take his hoodie off was painful, to say the least. He knew the other would wear a sweatshirt no matter the circumstances, but James needed to know if his friend required medical attention. It was hard to keep a straight face as Aaron took off the oversized, purple hoodie. Hand-shaped bruises and scars littered the younger boy’s body; James swore he saw marks that were not there last week. He felt anger bubble within but he knew that one wrong move on his part would result in Aaron’s suffering. 

Timothy Edwards. The name terrorized Aaron and infuriated James. He recalled Aaron before his parents died: a happy boy with so much energy and enthusiasm for life James could hardly keep up. After the car accident, the Madisons’ tried to take both Sarah and Aaron Burr. Unfortunately, they were sent to live with their grandfather, who later chucked them both off to their uncle Timothy Edwards.

Timothy Edwards, surprisingly, did not have a bad reputation. People perceived him as a little stern but in general was respected by the authorities. That was why people believed him over Aaron. Soon after moving in with Timothy Edwards, James noticed his friend gradually become more restrained than before. More quiet, more reserved, more anxious.

And so James held Aaron tightly in his arms, chin resting on his head. “Are you going to tell me what happened?” he asked. He had an idea of what went down in the Edwards’ residence, Aaron’s palms and back already told him what happened. Even though he knew, James wanted Aaron to tell him. His friend has enough people making assumptions about him and he did not need one more person to assume things.

“Hamilton happened,” grumbled Aaron. “Hamilton is so obnoxious. It is absolutely ridiculous. Why can’t he and his little gang just ignore me?”

“Do you really want to be ignored?”

James rubbed Aaron’s back in a soothing manner as he waited for a response. James heard rumors that the so-called “Hamilsquad” want Aaron to join their crew. He felt Aaron shake his head and smiled. “Would you like to spend recess with Thomas and I?”

Aaron pulled away and looked at him with surprise. “What about Thomas?”

“What about him?”

“You and Thomas are classmates. You two spend every break together and he has an image to maintain. I don’t think he would want me, the least liked underclassman, to even be near him.”

James chuckled. Little does he know that Thomas actually wants to meet him, he thought. “We won’t know if we don’t ask. He’s also quite friendly, actually. As long as you are not Alexander Hamilton, you will be fine. Shall I call him over?”

“You’re the master of the house while your parents and sibling are back in Virginia, you can do as you please,” Aaron answered.

James sighed. “Aaron, if it wasn’t for some terrible circumstances, you would’ve been a legal member of the Madison family. Fortunately for us, my folks consider you a part of this family. I will not call Thomas unless you actually want to see him. Your opinion matters as well.”

He felt Aaron’s hold on him tighten as he said, “I suppose it’ll be nice to have someone to eat lunch and spend breaks with.”

“I’ll invite him over then?”

“Go for it.”

As James pulled out his cellphone and texted Thomas, Aaron climbed out of his lap and made his way towards the kitchen. Aaron was most likely starving and at times like these, James appreciated his parents’ thoughtfulness. They really did care for Aaron, he is the son of their dear friends Esther and Aaron Burr Sr. They always bought food that Aaron likes, even they knew he was not eating enough. This is the least they could do for him, considering social services would not let them take Aaron and Sarah into their home. Now Sarah is gone and Aaron is living with Timothy Edwards. 

“James, can I eat this?”

James looked over at Aaron, who was holding a salmon sandwich in his hands. “Yeah, of course,” James quickly said. “You can eat whatever you like. Make yourself at home. Also Thomas should be here in half an hour so take your time.”

Aaron nodded as he took a big bite out of the sandwich. James turned back at his phone and texted Thomas again.

James-Just be a little tamer when you meet him.

Thomas-Why are you so nervous? I will be as cool as a cucumber.

James-Thomas. Aaron did not have a good day and he gets startled easily. You two will get along for sure but please be considerate. 

Thomas-Oh I am excited!!!!! You said such great things about him and honestly, I have seen him shut Hamilton down in arguments. I already respect him for being able to be his classmate, but to SHUT HIM UP IN A DEBATE is amazing.

James-That was interesting debate to watch, I agree. Just remember to be nice.

Thomas-Of course. I’ll be there soon

James-We’ll wait

James was content. Thomas was excited to meet Aaron and Aaron would not be shoved around with him and Thomas by his side. He heard the freshman pull something out of the pantry and sighed happily. Even if he could not do very much about Aaron’s home life, James would help him in any way he can. He also knew Aaron simply had to meet Thomas. His fellow sophomore was always curious about Aaron and when he found out James was a childhood friend of his, he demanded James introduce them to each other. Well, now they have chance to meet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Something lighter just to balance out last week's chapter! This is my personal headcanon that the Madisons were/are the family friends of the Burrs. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and tell me what you guys think! Comments are highly appreciated!


	4. Chapter 4

“Purple suits you.”

“You think purple suits everyone.”

“No, I don’t.” Thomas smirked at James. “It most definitely does not suit Hamilton. Aaron, this hoodie looks good on you.”

“Thank you.” Aaron was pleasantly surprised that Thomas Jefferson himself complimented his old, ragged, and oversized purple sweatshirt. He guessed the mere purpleness of it already pleased Thomas. Still, it was nice to receive kind words from the popular upperclassman. “I used to have a mint one but uncle Timothy threw it away. I like this one though; it was a gift from my friend Matthias.”

Thomas commented, “Your friend Matthias has good taste. You look great.”

Aaron giggled. If Thomas Jefferson complimented his torn-at-the-edges and outsized sweatshirt, then he must have chosen the right hoodie today. “He’ll be glad to hear that.”

The three of them, James, Thomas, and Aaron were drinking tea on the porch of the Madison home. He had to say, one of the plus sides of living in a suburban area was spending more time relaxing outside. Aaron knew Hamilton and Lafayette lived in more urban areas and wondered what true city life was like. Nevertheless, he was content drinking tea with the sophomores.

“Anyway,” James piped in,” didn’t you want to know about the time Aaron shut Hamilton down? Why don’t you ask him that?”

Thomas gasped and exclaimed, “Right! Ronnie, tell me everything!”

“Ronnie?” James and Aaron asked in unison. They knew he called James “Jemmy” but they didn’t expect “Ronnie”.

Thomas continued, “I want to know everything. I even want to know the seemingly insignificant details too. I live for that kind of tea!”

“What is there to say?” The younger boy responded. “It happened in the beginning of the year, shortly after Hamilton transferred into Yorktown High-“

“A tragedy for all of us,” Thomas mumbled.

“And we were supposed to work as a team. Mr. Washington was the judge, we were supposed to be co-counsels for the pretend trial we were having and Hamilton referred to me as his assistant counsel. I corrected him yet it did not take him long to start rambling again. How the rumor came about is beyond me.”

Thomas was wide-eyed and grinning. “I’m just glad you showed Hamilton his place. Even if for a little bit. I mean, the guy dresses like fake royalty!”

James snorted, placing his hand on his classmate’s back. “You dress like royalty yourself. Let’s not judge Hamilton’s fashion choices.”

“James, don’t you see the difference?” Aaron asked and both Virginians looked at him. “Hamilton dresses like fake royalty. Jefferson dresses like true royalty.”

“See James? Ronnie gets me.”

James shook his head and chuckled. Pouring more tea into the others’ cups, he looked at his younger friend and asked, “Do you want anything specific with tea? I don’t mind making something in the kitchen.”

“No, no! It’s fine. I just don’t know what to pick; they all look so tasty.” Of course they did, Aaron thought, my parents loved drinking tea and managed to get the Madisons on their train. Looking at the goodies James had brought out, his mouth watered. Cucumber sandwiches, strawberry tarts, and biscuits prettily placed on the tiered stand. He recalled teatime with his parents and sister, recalled how he would always eat the strawberry tarts. “I think I’ll have this,” he said as he picked one of the tarts up. The sweet taste exploded in his mouth and he could not help but finish it in seconds.

“This would’ve been so much nicer back in Virginia,” Thomas sighed. “You have to visit the Old Dominion someday. You absolutely have to see me in Monticello.” 

“I’ve been there, actually.” Aaron informed. “I’ve been to Charlottesville quite a few times. It’s a lovely state, but I still think New Jersey’s better.”

“Hey,” Thomas said accusingly yet teasingly with smile. “First, Virginia is the best state in America. Second, when and why were you in Virginia?”

James sipped his tea. “I do remember telling you that my parents and his parents were good friends. Our families would visit each other almost every summer before the, um, the car accident.”

“At least we live nearby now,” Aaron said, trying to ease the awkwardness of James’ last statement. “Imagine if my uncle lived in Wyoming or Vermont. We wouldn’t be able to see each other then.”

“So you’re in New York because your uncle Timothy lives here?” Thomas glanced at Aaron. “Your uncle’s name is Timothy, right?”

Aaron nodded. “Timothy Edwards. His name is Timothy Edwards; he used to live in Elizabethtown back in New Jersey but he moved here several years ago.”

“Interesting.” James rolled his eyes playfully at Thomas’ comment. “I guess I should tell you why I’m here. My father decided that studying outside Virginia will be beneficial and enrolled me in Yorktown High. I really miss Charlottesville but being around my fellow Virginian,” he pointed at James, “helps. And now that I have acquainted myself with a dapper young New Jerseyan, my time here will become even better.”

Aaron blushed a little bit at the statement; the only person who called him dapper in recent years was James’ mother, Eleanor R. Madison. Maybe Thomas was obnoxious, actually, he most definitely had obnoxious traits, but he was kind. He heard more sincere compliments in the past hour and half from Thomas than he had from his uncle in the past four months.

“Would you look at the time,” James exclaimed. “It’s already eight o’clock. You should be getting home; we do not want to upset Timothy. If Thomas doesn’t mind then maybe we can walk you home.”

“Of course I don’t mind! In fact, I am all for it. We can talk about our plans for tomorrow.” Thomas turned towards Aaron. “Do you want to sit inside or outside during lunch? Jemmy and I usually sit outside but if you want we can move inside.”

“You want to spend time with me at school?” Aaron was surprised, to say the least. “I’m sure you’ve noticed that I’m not exactly well-liked at school.”

Thomas shrugged. “Vincent Van Gogh wasn’t well-liked as well. Now he has a museum in Amsterdam dedicated to him. So inside or outside?”

Aaron grinned at James, who looked equally delighted. “I don’t mind sitting outside. I look forward to it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was fun to write! Next chapter will involve the Revolutionary Set so keep your eyes our for that! Please tell me what you think if this chapter, comments are highly appreciated!


	5. Chapter 5

Alexander was angry. 

“Why the ever-loving fuck does he ignore us but spends time with Jefferson and Madison? He must have received the text we sent; we sent it like four times!"

“Alexander, please.” Hercules hummed as he, along with Lafayette and John, watched Burr laughing outside. Their classmate was sandwiched between a cheerful Jefferson and an amused Madison. “Still, it is weird to see Burr with company during break.”

John took a big bite of his pizza and said, “Which begs the question, how did he even befriend them? I mean yesterday he ate lunch at his usual spot, you know, at the most isolated table in the cafeteria hall. Now he is sitting with two sophomores and is laughing. Pretty fishy in my opinion.” 

“I fucking agree,” Alexander said.

“At least he is laughing,” Hercules retorted. “Have you ever seen Burr laugh?”

The three other boys shook their heads. Aaron Burr was notoriously quiet; only spoke when spoken to and rarely asked questions. Sure, they sometimes saw him smile when the kid was with James Madison but even then, he seemed reserved. The sight in front of them was disturbing to a degree. Who could have thought that Aaron Burr could actually have a good time?

“Don’t you think his clothes are off?”

“Laf, what the fuck are you talking about?”

Lafayette sighed in an exasperated manner at Alexander and pointed at Burr. “His clothes. Since we are all talking about little Burr’s behavioral change, I might as well point out that he has never worn anything short-sleeved. We have known the guy since last school year and he has never worn a T-shirt. Remember sports day last year in middle school? It was hot as fuck and he still wore a sweatshirt.”

“Maybe he just really likes sweatshirts?” Hercules asked.

“In +26 degree? I don’t think so.”

John groaned. “You know we don’t know the Celsius scale! What is that in Fahrenheit?”

Lafayette shot him an irritated look. “I don’t know. Fahrenheit is ridiculous; literally every country except America uses Celsius.”

“Guys,” Alexander interrupted, “you’re going off topic. We were discussing Burr. Which brings me to next point, why Jefferson? That dickhead never showed interest in freshmen and all of a sudden, he is hugging Burr. I mean look at that!”

Alexander threw his arms in the air as Jefferson pulled Burr into a sloppy side hug. Madison smacked his classmate’s nape, clearly annoyed that their drinks almost spilled. All the while Burr was giggling and clapping his hands in glee because of what Jefferson said. This is unfair, Alexander thought, why is Burr so friendly with those two? I have never even seen him talk with Jefferdick. What the fuck.

“I wish those drinks tipped over,” Hercules muttered. “Isn’t the Burr family loaded? Why is he wearing that hoodie? It is ugly as hell. Don’t rich folk like to dress nicely? Look at you.” He gestured at Lafayette. “You look great.”

Lafayette smiled at the compliment before looking at Burr. “The only redeeming quality that hoodie has is the fact that it’s purple. The edges are all ripped up and it looks like it was used as a rag. Are hoodies really all he owns?”

“How many hoodies do you think he ha-“

“His parents are dead.”

Hercules, Lafayette, and Alexander snapped their heads back at John, who was scrolling his phone as he sipped his coke.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Hercules demanded.

“I googled “Aaron Burr”. I didn’t know his father was also called Aaron. According to these news articles, his dad used to be a well-known minister before dedicating himself to Princeton. His mom apparently was an accomplished writer. They died in a car accident.” 

An uncomfortable silence floated in the air. Hercules glanced at Lafayette while Alexander grabbed John’s phone and read the headlines of some of the articles. 

Car Collision Kills the President of Princeton

Writer Esther Burr dies in a car crash along with her husband

Two dead in a horrible motor accident

“Shit man,” Alexander mumbled. He knew he and Burr had something in common but he did not expect it to be orphan hood. “How the fuck did we not know this? Why did we not just google “Burr”? They are a well-known family, for fuck’s sake.”

“I mean who googles their classmates’ surnames, Alex?” John asked. “I only searched it because Herc said that the Burrs are rich and there is bound to be information on rich people. I didn’t expect these articles to pop up.”

Lafayette peeked at the screen and whispered, “His mother looks like a nice woman.”

Underneath one of the headlines, there was a photo of Esther Burr. Judging by the background, the photo was taken at a fancy event. Maybe at Princeton, Alexander thought. The woman wore a beautiful cherry red dress; her dark brown hair was in an updo. She was sitting next to a man in a black suit who looked an awful lot like Aaron. Both of them smiling brightly. 

“Wait a damn second,” Hercules said, “isn’t that the photo Burr brought to school when we were making that massive collage for our parents?”

“You’re absolutely right Herc.” John responded. “He brought it to school but he convinced the teacher to let him take it home the very same day.” 

“If his parents are deceased, then who does he live with?” Alexander pondered aloud. “I was adopted by Washington. Maybe dad knows who adopted Burr?”

“Maybe it’s none of our business and we should stay out of it?” John asked. “I don’t think Burr would like it if we start an investigation about his life. So we know he’s an orphan and we only found out through the power of Google. Maybe he doesn’t want people to know that he’s parentless.”

“Alex, I agree with John,” Hercules added. “Burr doesn’t answer basic questions regarding his life; you think he’ll tell you about something as big as this?”

Alexander gritted his teeth in frustration. He really wants to know how Burr ended up in New York; he wants to know many things about Burr. However, Burr refuses to associate with him and it is truly and annoyingly frustrating. 

“What if I subtly ask him what his parents thought about the upcoming parent-teacher dinner?”

His friends collectively sighed.

“Just ask your dad,” John said. “At least this way we won’t give Burr another reason to avoid us.”

Receiving his friends’ approval, Alexander decided to ask his dad at dinner about the Burrs. Surely, George Washington was acquaint with the respectable Burr family from New Jersey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Hamilsquad is significantly harder to write compared to the Southerners. I genuinely hope this turned out well enough compared to the previous chapters. Please tell me what you think; comments are highly appreciated!


	6. Chapter 6

“The Burrs?” George asked. Alexander nodded his head and leaned forward, waiting for an answer. “Why would you want to know about the Burrs?”

“For informative purposes,” Alexander responded. “Dad, you must have met the Burrs at least once. You’re George Washington, you know everyone!”

“I wouldn’t say everyone, son.” 

“You know everyone influential.”

George shook his head and sighed. “I didn’t know them very well; we were in different social circles. I spent most of my time with other Southerners, specifically other Virginians, and the Burrs liked to keep themselves to northern social circles. We did meet through the Madison family though.” Alexander raised an eyebrow at the last sentence. “You know James, right? The sophomore who spends a lot of time with Thomas Jefferson. His parents introduced me to the Burrs.”

“Madison is from Virginia?” Alexander chuckled sarcastically. “What is he doing up here in New York?”

“His father was transferred here, son.” George disliked his son’s tone when the boy said ‘Virginia’ but did not mention it. “Anyway, Eleanor and James were holding a dinner party and invited both me and the Burrs. I believe Esther was pregnant at the time with-“

“With Burr?!” Alex exclaimed excitedly.

“No, not with your current classmate. She was pregnant with her first child and daughter.” George gently pushed Alexander’s elbows off the table. “Manners, Alex.”

The boy ignored him completely and shook with excitement. “Burr has a sister? Where is she? What’s her name?” Alex asked with bright eyes and a smile. “Does she go to a different school? Is that why I’ve never seen another Burr at Yorktown?”

“Alexander, calm down.” George felt his throat tighten. He had encountered Sarah Burr several times. First time he met her was at an event at Princeton to which he was invited to and the last time was at the Burrs’ funeral. He did not know this at the time, but it was the last anyone would see Sarah ‘Sally’ Burr. “She isn’t in New York. As far as I know, she is in Connecticut.”

“Oh my god what is she doing in Connecticut?” Alexander sounded shocked. “I think she should visit her brother. Does she know how god damn serious Aaron is? Until recently it seemed like he didn’t know how to smile.”

Maybe he does not have much to smile about, George though. From what little information he got from Eleanor, it seemed the young Aaron Burr had toughened up significantly since his sister disappeared. He would be lying if he said he was very fond of the boy when he first met him. The child was cold and reserved when they first met; only after he received an earful from Eleanor did he start to warm up to the boy, who in turn warmed up a bit not only to him but to everyone. 

“Why are you asking me about the Burrs anyway? Up until recently you didn’t show an ounce of interest towards Aaron or his family.”

Alexander smiled awkwardly, laughing uncomfortably. “Well, not too long ago the boys and I learned that Burr was an orphan and I was wondering if you knew who he was adopted by?”

“How do you know he’s an orphan?”

“Laurens googled ‘Aaron Burr’ and a bunch of articled popped up about a car accident where I know Burr’s parents died in.” 

George opened his mouth but closed it. He was not surprised that this peaked his son’s interest. Had he not known Aaron Burr Sr. and Esther Burr, he might have told Alexander. However, he did know them and he knew their children. Even if he was never close to them, it felt wrong to discuss the death of two respectable people and then face their son the next morning. Also knowing his own child, Alexander could, will, anger and upset Aaron.

“He lives with his maternal uncle,” George said sternly. “Son, I would ask you don’t ask Aaron about his past and I would also like to not discuss the Burrs at home. “

“Why not?” Alexander looked offended.

“Son.”

The teen huffed angrily, gulped his drink down before standing up from the dinner table. “I’ll be in my room if you need me,” he said as he walked away.

George sat alone at the table, solemnly drinking wine. He never did know the Burrs well. He closed his eyes, recalling the dinner party he met them many years ago. 

He remembered talking to Peter Jefferson and his wife Jane when he heard their hosts’ delighted voices matched by equally cheerful new voices. By the front door, he recalls seeing a smiling pregnant woman in a turquoise dress followed by a tall man with warm brown eyes wearing a sweater that matched his wife’s clothes. It has been over a decade since that evening but the New Jersian couple made quite an impression on him. As any other human they had their flaws, from what he had heard, Esther Burr was a woman of such strong opinions that she had horrible relationships with some other prominent New Jersians while her husband was a workaholic who rarely slept. Still, the two were showered in kind words and were good people and parents. 

George sadly wondered how different their son would have turned out had they not passed away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is shorter than usual but I am quite pleased how it turned out! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and please tell me what you think about it, comments are highly appreciated!


	7. Chapter 7

If I ignore them, they will eventually get bored and leave.

Aaron had locked himself in one of the restroom stalls, wanting some peace and quiet after being shoved around the whole day. He was not surprised why the people were meaner recently; they did get new material to humiliate him. Thanks to Alexander Hamilton, the whole school now knew that he is a stupid orphan kid. 

He tried so fucking hard to prevent people from finding out he is a parentless boy. Two years of successfully concealing crumbling down because Alexander Hamilton could not keep his mouth shut. He did not even know how the man found out his orphan hood. It didn’t matter now, what mattered is that he wanted to be alone but Hamilton and his friends won’t let him be.

“Burr.” Alexander sounded distressed. “Can we please just talk?”

John spoke up, “Burr, listen, we’re very sorry. What we did was fucked up. Can you please come out?”

“Little Burr, we won’t hurt you. Please unlock the door.” Lafayette said.

Except you already did, Aaron thought bitterly. He wanted to be with James and Thomas, unfortunately the sophomores were on a field trip. With them gone, Aaron guessed other students were compensating for all the bullying they missed because he was with James and Thomas.

Aaron leaned on the door and stared at his watch. One more minute and his classmates would leave for P.E. He quietly thanked his uncle for excusing him from P.E. Not only did he avoid his classmates, but also his body would not have to endure the pain of his scars and bruises being hit. 

Finally, that glorious sound, the bell’s ring. Aaron shuddered at the slam of the door yet he sighed in relief and unlocked the stall. He was finally alone.

Except he was not.

There, right in front of him, sitting on the sink counter was none other than Hercules Mulligan. Aaron decided to just leave the restroom; he didn’t want to be awkward and reenter the stall. As he reached for the handle, he felt a gentle touch on his left shoulder.

“Um, I’m excused from P.E. today,” Hercules said. Aaron was surprised by how nervous his classmate sounded. Hercules Mulligan is confident. Everyone in Hamilton’s circle is confident. “Do you want some company? Cuz you know it’ll be boring to just watch them play soccer, ya know?”

Aaron nodded uneasily before jumping up on the sink counter. He knew Mulligan was just as uneasy as he was. He watched as Hercules rubbed his hands nervously and listened quietly to his mutterings.

“I’m sorry.”

“Excuse me?” Aaron looked up at Hercules. The boy, who was taller, wider, and stronger than he was, appeared scared and remorseful. “Why are you apologizing?”

“I’m partially responsible for the school finding out about your…”

“My dead parents? Yeah, all four of you are responsible.” Hercules cast his eyes down, ashamed. “Why the fuck do you guys even know about my mom and dad?”

“Remember a week ago when you were eating with Jefferson and Madison for the first time?” Aaron nodded. “Alex was kind of pissed and we were discussing, um, you. We were about to argue until John said your parents are deceased. He googled ‘Aaron Burr’ and a bunch of articles about a car crash popped up. We didn’t know you and your dad share names.”

Aaron’s lips screwed in irritation. “I locked those memories up in a chest and the four of you manage to break it open. Congratulations.” He tried to remain calm, but they violated his privacy. It already was tiring to wear a doll face all the time, his mask was cracked and he needed to fix it quickly. 

“I’m also sorry,” Hercules said, “for making fun your clothes behind your back. I am a jerk face and I know it.”

“I don’t need your pity,” Aaron snapped, frustration boiling in his chest. “Are you apologizing because you feel bad for picking on a parentless boy? You never hesitated to insult my purple hoodie. Looks like a used rag, after all.” He stared Hercules right into his eyes. “It’s ugly, I know that. I’m not blind. But it was a gift from a friend back from New Jersey. So do me a favor and talk less about my clothes.”

Aaron was breathing heavily, he felt hot and exasperated. Mulligan looked worried, slowly reaching out; he rubbed Aaron’s cheek and whispered, “Do you want to cry it out?”

“No. I do not.” Aaron flinched when Mulligan suddenly jumped down. “Don’t act like you’re my friend when you’ve made fun of me.”

“Can we please bury the hatchet?” Hercules gently removed his hand from Aaron’s face and offered it to Aaron. “I’m so sorry for my behavior. I thought you did not like me and I let it get to me. I thought you were a stuck up rich kid. Sorry.”

Aaron blinked. He looked at Hercules’ big hand and slowly shook it. He winced slightly when he felt Hercules squeeze his hand. The pale marks on his skin still hurt but he ignored it. “I suppose it’ll be better if I try to form some relationships in my own class.”

Hercules chuckled. “Yeah man. The sophomores aren’t always around. And now we can work together on a project or something in the future, right?”

“Right.” Aaron let go of Hercules hand. “Anyway, you should probably head to the gym.”

“What about you?” Hercules asked, raising his eyebrows.

“I need to go the library. There is a book about sewing and I want to check it out.

“You like to sew?”

Aaron shrugged. “I don’t mind it. I ripped a shirt and I need to sew it back together. That’s why I want that book.”

Hercules smiled brightly. “You know, I’m a tailor’s apprentice! Lemme have a go at your shirt. It’s the least I can do.

Aaron could tell Hercules was genuine is his offer and smiled in return. “I’ll bring the shirt tomorrow then?”

“Hell yeah! When I’m done with it, it’ll be good as new!”

Aaron laughed quietly as they walked towards the library. Hercules excitedly patted his back while telling him about apprenticeship. Perhaps letting people in wasn’t a crime.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boi I sure do hope you guys like how this chapter turned out. Hercules, in my opinion, seems like the calmest out of the four and that's why he was able to chat with Aaron while others couldn't. Please tell me what you think; comments are highly appreciated!


	8. Chapter 8

Alexander Hamilton, John Laurence, and Lafayette observed as their friend Hercules Mulligan anxiously pulled on his shirt for the fifteenth time now. 

"Herc," John started, "what are you so worried about? As far as I know we don't have any tests or exams today so why are you so nervous?" Hercules shot him a look but kept silent. "Dude." 

Hercules gestured at Aaron's empty desk and said through gritted teeth," Aaron Burr is never late. He always shows up exactly twenty minutes before class starts and when he doesn't Edwards shows up to say that he's sick or something. This is beyond odd."

"Herc, chill," Alexander said. "Maybe they decided to chill themselves and stop being so uptight about everything." 

"Unlikely," a familiar voice said.

"Jefferson." 

Alexander glared at the purple-colored beast, pursing his lips. He wondered why his father, who happens to also be his teacher and principal, insisted upon these joint classes. Besides the bastard stood James Madison in his usual preppy attire. 

"Hey, Madison, do you know why Burr is absent?" God dammit Hercules, Alexander thought.

Jefferson was clearly taken aback but his fellow Virginian didn't seem surprised. "He's...ill. Bad case of the flu. His uncle called me today; asked me to relay the message." 

"Who catches the flu in spring?" John asked.

"Aaron and I do," Madison snapped at John before turning to Herc. "Anyway, Aaron asked me to thank you for mending his shirt. He really appreciates it." 

"It really was no problem," Herc answered with a smile. "Can you tell Aaron hi? I assume you're tight with him."

Madison returned the smile before suddenly coughing into his arm. Quickly recovering he straightened up and explained," Aaron and I have knows each other since we were little. Our parents were friends and we spent many summers and Christmases together; even more so after Mister Burr was released from his pastoral duties."

Alexander snorted at the thought of Burr being from a religious background. With the exception of himself, he has never met someone with such a distaste for the Lord. The thought of his father being a pastor was absolutely hilarious. Also wasn't the stern cranky Edwards also a deeply pious man? No way the Burr family is religious.

Speaking of the Burr family.

"Madison," Alexander said and immediately Jefferson shot him a dirty look but he ignored it, "it appears you're close with the Burrs." Madison nodded. Good. "Do you know who Sarah is?"

James' usually emotionless face darkened; as if Aaron asked why he was so fucking sickly. Judging from the others' faces, they too were interested. 

"She's Aaron older sister." 

"I didn't know he had a sister." Lafayette said with genuine surprise. "Where is she?"

"In Connecticut. Hopefully happy and stays away." Madison spat through his teeth and a dark scowl sullying his face as he turned towards Alexander, making him gulp. "Don't mention her to anyone, especially Aaron." 

"Why wouldn't I mention her? Surely Aaron isn't ashamed of his own sister. I googled her and she seems nice and sociable. Burr should really learn something from his sister."

Madison's slammed the nearby desk, forcing Alexander to shut up momentarily. Never in a million did he think that sick, frail, meek, and quiet James Madison from Virginia would slam a desk. That was something Thomas Jefferson would do, not him. Alex was so glad that with the exception of them, the class was empty. 

"You are so intelligent," James growled, to everyone's shock surprise." You're so smart and clever but why can't you control yourself around others? If you see that Aaron doesn't want to talk about something, stop pushing the subject. I'm asking you not to mention his sister to him and you immediately want to fight that. Why? You'll just push him further away."

Sighing, Madison sat at Burr's desk and muttered something to a worried Jefferson. 

"Congrats, Alex," John said. "You managed to piss Madison off. That's an achievement in itself."

"I didn't he was even capable of being somewhat aggressive. The guy's always so... tame?" Hercules commented.

"We can hear you, you know?" Jefferson snarled.

"We know." Alexander snapped in return.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From the hell called the Kazakh Education System I have emerged. The last few months were hectic and my final exams are coming up but hopefully afterwards I can write on a more regular basis. 
> 
> I would like to thank all of you for being so patient and for the sweet comments! Every comment left me smiling for days!!!


	9. Chapter 9

The school rang with the sound of chattering students and exasperated teachers. James Madison and Thomas Jefferson sat at their usual lunch spot underneath their Linden Lime tree. Unboxing his lunch, which consisted of last night’s leftovers, James felt Alexander’s unnerving gaze coming from inside the cafeteria. After their morning spat, the freshmen were staring at him and it pissed him off.

“Jemmy, calm down before your body gives out,” Thomas said. “Just ignore them; they’ll be bored soon enough.”

James shoved a forkful of pasta into his mouth, smiling now. “It’s been three years since Sarah ran away yet she still manages to rear her ugly head into Aaron’s life.”

“Speaking of Sarah, is she really in Connecticut? Most people who leave tend to go to the West Coast, not to the Land of Steady Habits.”

“Her boyfriend, Tapping Reeve, lives in Connecticut,” James answered. “Sarah attempts to send letters regularly but it must be quite the challenge with her jumping from town to town, city to city. From what I gathered, she lived in Litchfield for several months after leaving Elizabethtown in New Jersey. Then she spent a year in Bridgeport and New Haven before both she and Tapping moved to Hartford late last year.” James paused and sighed deeply. “I don’t want to blame her, Thomas.”

Thomas sipped on his Sprite can with a raised eyebrow. “For leaving Burr?”

James nodded. “She was sixteen and her brother was eleven when their parents died. Then they were forced to live with their grandfather who is a grumpy old man suffering from arthritis and he gave them away to Timothy Edwards. My parents dislike Edwards. A lot. My mom wanted to adopt the Burrs because we can support two more kids, especially if they are her godchildren. However, Edwards was adamant that his niece and nephew live with him. A few months later Sarah disappeared.” He gulped. “I want to blame her for some of Aaron’s pain but she was also a scared kid in a dysfunctional household. At least in Newark, they had friends, Aaron had Matthew Ogden and Sarah had Tapping Reeve. In New York they had no one, so she left.” 

Silence hung between him and Thomas as he remembered Sarah. James recalled her big brown eyes hiding behind thick red-rimmed glasses and her voice as cheerful as the morning sun. Deep down he was happy for Sarah. She tried her best to be a good sister despite the unfortunate circumstances. She sends Aaron presents and cards on special occasions and he knows for a fact that Sarah reassures his fusspot of a mother and worrywart father that she is hearty and hale, not cold and starving somewhere in Connecticut.

James glanced up at Thomas, who was slumping while chewing his sandwich in the most depressed manner possible. “Are you alright?” he asked.

“I suppose.” Thomas cracked open another can of Sprite. “How old are Aaron and Sarah exactly?”

“He turned fifteen this February and she’ll be twenty this May. Why?”

“Just asking. Also,” Thomas said, “is Aaron actually ill or did something happen?”

“Edwards told me he’s ill but the likelier answer is that he beat Aaron and is using sickness as an excuse so that outsiders don’t see Aaron’s fresh bruises. Why do you think he’s so adamant about his long-sleeved shirts and pants?”

Thomas looked at James with horrified eyes. “That’s a serious claim to make, James. Are you absolutely sure?”

 

“I am,” he answered sharply. “Why would I be lying about this? I carry band-aids, bandages, and antiseptic wipes for a reason.”

“I assumed they were for your army of younger siblings.”

“Them too.”

An uneasy tension grew which only worsened when James realized the freshmen, specifically Hamilton, were still staring. Sarah, you would have hated Hamilton and Laurens, thought James. Both of them are far too loud for your taste. Nothing like your sweet and quiet Tapping. 

“I suppose,” James began, “Hamilton does have a point.”

Thomas snorted. “Unbelievable. First you sort of compliment him and now you’re saying that Hamilton has a valid point.” He leaned in and grinned. “Do enlighten me, Jemmy.”

James scoffed at his friend’s cocky expression. “He said that Sarah seems nice and sociable, which is true. She was always the life of the party and with their parents being big cats up in Jersey both she and Aaron know how to behave in polite society. Aaron, believe it or not, used to be extroversive. He just finds New Yorkers a bit overwhelming.”

“And his uncle’s a piece of shit.” Thomas added. 

“And his uncle’s a piece of shit.” James repeated, meaning every word.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some heart-to-heart conversations between the Virginian boys! Leave a comment and please tell me what you think about this chapter, feedback is highly appreciated. Also I did not forget about the Schuyler Sisters. They should appear in the chapters to come so look out for that!


	10. Chapter 10

“Hercules!” He heard Peggy’s voice and could not help but grin. Peggy was the youngest of the Schuylers, the sweetest and incredibly patient. He guessed that what happens to a girl when she is constantly around Angelica, Eliza, and Eliza’s boyfriend (and Hercules’ dear friend) Alexander Hamilton. He suddenly felt small arms wrapping around his waist and heard, “How are you? It’s been too long, hasn’t it?”

Hercules grabbed Peggy’s arms, pulled them away so he could turn, and promptly pulled her in a warm embrace. “I agree. At least you turned your paper in, yeah?” She nodded. “That’s good. That’s really good.”

“You wanted to talk about Burr, right? Something about his uncle?”

“I did, I did. However,” Hercules paused, “this is not something we should discuss in these New York’s city streets. I think there’s, actually I am pretty sure that there is a Starbucks nearby. Let’s talk there; I’ll treat ya if you want.”

“Sure.” Peggy smiled. “I want a caramel Frappuccino.”

Starbucks, unsurprisingly, was filled with busy New Yorkers and tourists alike. Hercules glanced at Peggy, who sat by the window mouthing ‘caramel’ at him, and wondered if no one asked her to be their date for their school’s up-coming spring dance. He hoped no one did or he will never hear the end of Alexander’s ‘if you love her, go get her’ speech. Most guys would ask Angelica out and who could blame them? She was fierce and beautiful, the oldest of the Schuyler Sisters. And no one dared to go after Eliza after Alexander’s rather emotional speech while trying to fight some Seabury fool. Most eyes were focused on Angelica and Eliza (Alex included) so Peggy was unfortunately overlooked. It was beyond Hercules how someone could overlook Peggy in her yellow dresses and friendly smiles. 

Sitting in front of her, Hercules placed their drinks and took a deep breath. “Alright, first, what do you know about Burr or his familia?”

Peggy pulled a face. “One time when my family and I were in Newark on a trip, he and some boy, Matthias I think, tried to hit on Angelica. Burr used such a ridiculous pick up line but it paled to what his friend said. Besides that very awkward meeting, what else do I know…? Oh!” she exclaimed, “His father was President of Princeton University and his mother was a writer. He has a sister, Sarah, she’s really nice but I haven’t seen her in a while. His uncle is an austere creep.”

Hercules pointed in the air. “There. His uncle, something Edwards.”

“Timothy.” Peggy corrected.

Hercules nodded. “Timothy Edwards is why I asked you to meet up with me. Something about Burr make me suspect that there is something shady happenings in their home.” Peggy raised her brows in surprise. “He winced when I squeezed his hand; he flinches when people raise their arms suddenly, he is very keen on covering himself and the James Madison talks about him makes me think that Edwards is an abusive prick and is the reason why his sister, her name’s Sarah, right? Why Sarah ran off.”

Peggy stared at him and sighed deeply. “That is a serious accusation you’re making there. I know I said his uncle is a creep but I don’t think he’s abusive. He is a little bit stern, I’ll admit that, but Burr has been out of place ever since he left his native Newark and New Jersey in general.”

His brows knitted in frustration. “I get where you’re coming from, Pegs, but I still think we, or just me, should investigate this. What if Burr is really being beaten like a punching bag? I’d rather snoop around a bit and be in an awkward situation than do nothing and let Burr close himself even more.”

Peggy took his huge hands, cupping them in her smaller ones. “Suppose you are right. That Mr. Edwards is abusing Burr? What are you going to do? If you do anything brash then he’ll bear the brunt of the consequences.” She looked up at him and he saw determination in her eyes. “I can clue you in on Mr. Edwards schedule since he sometimes meets up with my parents in their weird hangouts and whatnot. But, and this is crucial, promise me you won’t do anything unless you have a bulletproof plan on how to help him should he actually be abused. Remember, he will face harsher consequences than we will. Promise?”

Hercules could not help but agree with Peggy. He’d rather they lie in wait than fuck up big time and cause more harm than good.

"Promise."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I SURE DO HOPE I GOT PEGGY CORRECTLY. Other than that, I just want to thank everyone for being so patient with the updates and leaving such nice comments! I will try my hardest to make sure the next that the nect chapter is longer than this one. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well and please tell me what you think!


	11. Chapter 11

“Pardon me. Are you Aaron Burr, sir?”

Aaron sighed, recognizing the voice. “That depends. Who’s asking?”

“It’s Alexander Hamilton, my dude.”

Aaron, being bruised and sore all over, did not even have the strength to shut Hamilton out. He lifted his head from his desk and stared at his classmate. “I know it’s you, Alexander. Is there anything you need from me?”

From behind, John Laurens yelled, “He wants to know why you were absent for two consecutive weeks, dude. Madison said you had the flu. In spring.” He wrinkled his nose, as if to mock him. “Who catches the flu in spring?”

“I’ve always been a sickly person. Madison catches flus and common cold often but no one questions him.”

“That’s because,” Laurens sauntered besides Hamilton. “James Madison is a mad hatter. He’s always taking medicine when he thinks no one sees.”

Lafayette added, “He is seventeen but acts as if his body is crumbling.” He grinned at his friends and high fived them, much to Aaron’s disdain. It was not James’ fault that he was a childhood epileptic who suffers from panic attacks because of it. No one besides Aaron and Thomas, of course. Years ago, the Burrs would visit James when he was hospitalized and Thomas had witnessed some of his panic attacks.

The school Balls are one of the few events where Aaron Burr is ‘fun’ (according to Hamilton). However, with the last two weeks still fresh in his mind, he will probably ditch it this time. He won’t have been able to dance anyway, not with the angry, red welts decorating his person. His uncle was furious so that was to be expected. Still, they still were painful to feel and look at.

Aaron could not quite remember what his uncle had beaten him _for_ , nor could he recall how long they had gone for this time round. He thinks he tried to run off again and was caught again. What he does remember was the final kick and the sound of a metal belt buckle hitting the floor. Maybe he tried to run away, maybe his uncle was furious with his ex-wife and used Aaron as a punching bag, or maybe Timothy just felt like hurting his nephew. _Christ,_ he thought, _how is Uncle Timothy my mother’s younger brother?_

Esther Edwards Burr, Aaron’s mother, was a sweet woman. Was she opinionated? Yes. Funny? Of course. Deeply religious? No doubt about it. Nevertheless, never cruel. No matter how stupid her son was or how much her daughter rebelled, she would never, ever beat them. His father, Aaron Burr (his parents must have been feeling funny when he was born), was also nothing but smiles. His father always smelled of books and wood, like the church he worked at as a pastor; his mother, on the other hand, her scent reminded him of peppermints. He loved them, no, he _loves_ them. He hates his uncle and he hates the accident that took his mother and father away from him. If only his parents decided to stay home that foggy and rainy night then he would still have a family, not a sad, broken home. He would have been back home in Newark, his best friend Mathias would be down the street, his uncle would have been in Elizabethtown and not his guardian. Instead, the Lord his family praised so much decided to kill or separate him from everyone who loved him and in return gave him Timothy Edwards.

Aaron could not remember James opening the door or closing it but there he was. His face was red, his eyes too, as if he has not slept in days. “What happened?” he said softly. “You were gone for two weeks and I hear _nothing_. No calls, no texts. Nothing.” Aaron looked up at him and saw genuine concern all over the older boy’s face. The kind of worry only his parents showed him. “Aaron, what did Timothy do?”

“Nothing. He didn’t anything; I was just sick.”

“He threatened you not to tell me, didn’t he?”

Aaron froze. James guessed correctly. His Uncle has threatened to hurt the Madisons if Aaron spoke up. He already blamed himself for his parents’ death he would break if something happened to James or Eleanor. “Timothy… It’s fine, it’s fine-“

“Aaron.”

“I’m fifteen!” He shot up from his chair and smiled at James. “I’ll be able to leave in three years’ time. If I wait and play my cards right then I just might be able to receive an emancipation!”

James stared at him for what felt like an eternity before cupping his face in his hands and Aaron wanted to cry. The last two weeks were hellish to the point he could not remember some days. His whole body hurts and he felt numb and empty for a week. He just wanted to be ten again. He wanted his father to pick him up and twirl him around; he wanted his mother to hold him tight, stroke his hair and tell him that everything will be all right, that he will be fine. He wanted to go to school with Mathias and he wanted Sally. He missed his sister and her letters (which he receives once in a blue moon) do not fill the hole she left when she left him to go live in Connecticut with Tapping Reeve. His Uncle instead lives to torment, hurt, and humiliate him. The scars, bruises, and welts remind him every day of the monster he lives with and will continue to-

Suddenly, he felt James squeeze him tightly and say, “No one can tell you that it isn’t black and white, Aaron. Edwards is a monster I know but I need you to not give into the gloom until my parents can find some legal loophole to take you away from his clutches.” He felt the embrace tighten. “I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying right here. No matter what, I’ll be here with you.”

And Aaron began to cry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How do you guys like those 'Dear Evan Hansen' references? Also just in case, James Madison historically may have suffered from panic attacks and/or epilepsy, disorders with historical stigmas. And some sources do say that Timothy Edwards did beat his nephew "like a sack". I understand that the Hamilsquad (except Herc) are kinda being dicks right now but trust me they get better I promise. I hope you guys like this chapter and please leave a comment telling me what you think!


	12. Chapter 12

Hercules felt like a true spy on the inside. Sneaking around in the dead of night near Aaron Burr's house was suspicious, to say the least. However, this was serious and Peggy told him that Edwards was out with Mr. and Mrs. Schuyler so this was a priceless opportunity to snoop around.

Crouching by the window, Hercules heard Aaron mumbling something about love and life. Hercules tried to think of a way to somehow talk to Aaron without scaring him off because what the fuck do you say when you see your classmate outside your window. Especially when said classmate was dressed in a black sweater, denim jeans, and a beanie with a cheapass phone in hand.

The phone buzzed as a new message was received. Hercules sighed and texted Peggy back that even though it's been fifteen minutes he still does not have any evidence.

Bro, the message said.

"Bro," he heard a French accent say. Snapping his head back he saw the one and only Lafayette crawling behind him. Laf flashed a grin and jumped on his feet only to be pulled down by Hercules. "Mon amie, what are you doing here? Alexander texted you, you know?"

No, he did not. Peggy insisted on him using a Nokia 1650 that was lying around in her junk drawer for "security reasons". The 1650 had known contacts but all of the numbers belonged to the Schuyler Family. "This was my first phone," she had said. So now he has a Nokia while his actual phone is turned off in his backpack

"Laf, what are you doing here?"

"What are YOU doing here?" Lafayette eyes Herc's clothes. "Spying on Little Burr?"

"I can neither confirm nor deny these accusations but you gotta leave. Like now. Leave now.

The French boy, clearly not happy with the answer, scowled and argued with him until they heard a voice singing from inside the window.

Both boys gingerly peeked inside and saw Aaron singing. He was singing with a smile on his face and his hands on his heart; he could have even been blushing! The genuine cheer in his voice and song was so pleasantly unusual that Herc could not blame Laf for smiling himself.

Hercules Mulligan then recalled his mission to get some cold, hard evidence. Remembering the sad little phone Peggy gave him he knew it won't do any good so he shoved his hand down Laf's back pocket, pulled out Laf's phone and took as many photos as he could. Before his friend could start to protest, Hercules methodically sneaked away from the windowsill, dragging Laf behind him.

Laf looked at Hercules with wide eyes full of curiosity and at the same time, annoyance. "Hercules, what were you doing near Burr's house? Alexander was worried. You didn't reply to his hundreds of messages so I offered to find you."

Hercules breathed in, returning Laf's phone back to him. He didn't want to explain what he and Peggy suspected. The photos were evidence. Evidence of Creepothy's violent behavior. After all, why else would Aaron be covered in bruises and have a bloody lip. Hercules was so glad Burr was wearing short sleeves otherwise his stakeout would have been worthless.

There was a pregnant silence and Herc could only wonder what that meant. Laf's a smart man, he'll understand. It's Alexander that worried him. While Herc wholeheartedly supported him ripping Samuel Seabury apart, he doubts his technique will work on Timothy Edwards. Alex trying to fistfight Burr's uncle was an actual possibility that worried Peggy.

Laf pulled Herc closer. "Is that what you and Peggy have been doing since you have been dating?" Herc could literally feel blood rushing to his head. Before he could argue, Laf said, "Well, I feel like an absolute dick now. But now you have me as another companion in this investigation."

"I'm sorry what?"

"You heard me." Laf grabbed his shoulders and shook him. "Our relationship with Aaron is built on misconceptions and pent up frustrations." He waved the phone. "I think these bruises are the reasons why Little Burr is so restrained all the time."

The cool night air kissed Herc's face as Laf texted the boys and Peggy (by extension Angelica and Eliza) to meet up at Central Park.

Slamilton- Hell yeah

Slamilton- John says hell yeah

Peggy✨- Eeeeee not for too long tho

Peggy✨- Angelica and Eliza are coming too

Hercules smiled at Peggy's texts. Then Laf snatched the phone again and began to text someone again. Herc peered over Laf's shoulder and nearly choked. "You can't be serious."

"I am most definitely serious."

"We're conducting an investigation and now you want us to cover the imminent murder that'll happen!"

"Hercules, I'm actually friends with Jefferson." Herc froze. This was new. And if Hamilton, who he cherishes, finds out then God knows what'll happen. "Thomas and Madison know Burr much better than us. Maybe they know what's up."

Herc could not deny that. Madison and Aaron are childhood friends. They were close and recently Aaron has befriended Jefferson so they knew him more. "Fine. But you'll be responsible for any fight that will happen."

Once Lafayette finished messaging everyone, he immediately demanded, "So Herc how did you come to spy on Little Burr?"

"It's a long story man," he said. "Honestly it started because when I was trying to make things right with him. Burr kept flinching, when I patted his back he winced, and Madison is protective of him. He's both low key and high key protective at the same time somehow. Also his sister Sarah ran off and according to Peggy Burr's been out of place and more shut in since leaving Jersey." Hercules knew Laf was about to ask if this was just an accusation so he said," Remember when Burr was absent for two weeks straight? And now that we've seen what we've seen? I have no doubts that his uncle is beating him and who knows what more. You can call this baselessly accusing a man but Pegs and I will get to the bottom of this."

Herc's cheeks were hot and flushed when Laf caressed it. Laf's face was sympathetic yet determined so he knew that at least this Frenchman would be fighting with him too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's alive!!!


	13. Chapter 13

Her sisters and their friends were always so much louder than her.

Peggy, sitting next to an exasperated Hercules, watched as Angelica and Alexander argued with Thomas and James. Judging from their clothes, Alexander and John were already outside while she and her sisters, along with the Virginian boys, were not. She looked up Herc, smiling nervously. She knew not to be too hopeful when Herc texted her that he had summoned everyone but Peggy Schuyler thought of herself as a ‘cautious optimist’.

“Listen up, Jefferdick,” Alexander shouted, “what in ever loving hell are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the very same thing!” Thomas retorted. "Why on earth you here?" He snapped his head at Hercules. "Mulligan would you explain why did you invite everyone here so damn late?"

Hercules stood up, stretching his arms. "I don't know about you guys, but I wanted to discuss Burr instead of spitting at each other. You and Madison surely know what's going on in that house." His eyebrows were raised as he stared at the Virginians.

"So you were spying on him," James said. "What else did you do?"

"Spy stuff," Hercules answered.

James nodded slowly, as if contemplating something. "Then you've seen the bruises and welts." Herc nodded as Lafayette pulled Thomas to his side and opened his phone. Peggy watched Thomas' face contort in disgust. "Thomas and I know," James spoke." To tell you the truth, Edwards has always been a difficult man. I'd say he's the reason why Aaron is hyper-cautious."

"Hi yeah can somebody explain what the hell is going on?" John piped in. "It's something to do with Burr, but what exactly?"

"Well Herc first contacted me because he had suspicions that Aaron was being beat at home. Because like he flinches and pulls away from touch and according to Herc he's 'uncomfortable when a hand is raised above him." Peggy explained and she felt Angelica's stare on her but she continued. "So we decided to investigate. My mother and father occasionally see Mr. Edwards and today they all had some event they were invited to. So I told Herc and he went out investigating."

Lafayette jumped in saying," Around that time Alex began to text Hercules aggressively but he didn't respond since apparently he had some phone from the 2000s?" Peggy ,embarrassed, blushed at that and Herc tried kicking Laf's leg but the French teen jumped. "So after we got some photo evidence we decided to call you to evaluate the situation present."

Peggy sighed; she hoped they wouldn't start arguing again. She also hoped her father and mother wouldn't come home early and find their three daughters missing. "Abuse isn't something I really expected," she whispered. Peggy heard James cough and glanced at him. She shivered when he saw how cold and hard his eyes were. "Madison?"

"Yeah Madison," Alexander began and Peggy could hear the angry undertone," you're close with Burr so why didn't you lend him a hand?"

Eliza, thank goodness, placed her hand over Alexander could match over to where James stood. The older boy coughed and said, "My whole family tried to help. Aaron's my god-brother, Hamilton. My parents tried to adopt him and Sarah but Edwards was adamant that his sister's children be raised by him. After their grandfather sent them away my mother and my father tried so hard to take them in but they were forced to live with their uncle because he's their uncle." James started to cough heavily, so much so Thomas started to pat his back as a cold comfort.

"Alex," Peggy said. "Herc and I agreed we won't do anything until we have a bulletproof plan. Something goes wrong and Burr will be the one beaten for it."

 

 

Not knowing how, but Angelica and Eliza managed to convince their parents to stay out even later than usual and now everyone was at their house. More specifically, everyone was inside Peggy's room.

"Nice bedroom, Pegster!" John complimented and it made her proud. She spent a lot of time creating a nice environment, complete with soft yellow fairy lights and lots of pillows. "This is so much nicer than the chaos in my room."

James, the sickest yet also one of the calmest people in the group, sat and sank into her apricot bean bag while his steadfast companion Thomas sat on the floor beside him. Herc, Alexander, and John also sat on the floor as far away from the Virginians as they could and Lafayette made himself comfortable between the two groups as he lay on the fluffy white carpet. Her sisters were seated on her soft bed; Eliza held one of Peggy's stuffed animals on her lap while Angelica observed the Hamilsquad with amusement in her eyes.

Peggy herself sat on the only chair in the space. She would've happily given it to Hercules but he insisted she be there because she's "the lady of the room".

Angelica spoke up first, beating Alexander and Thomas to it. "So from Madison's tale and Hercules' photos it's safe to assume that Aaron Burr Junior is being physically abu-" James coughed but differently. This one laced with discontent rather than sickness. "Physically and emotionally abused. Clearly we have evidence but we can't do anything without the back up of an adult with authority."

"What about Mr. and Mrs. Schuyler?" Herc asked.

Eliza shook her head. "Our parents have a positive relationship with Mr. Edwards. And they'll ask questions about how we came about the photographs."

"My parents are out of town," Thomas added.

"My parents know but they're already working on adopting Aaron," James softly said.

Silence fell on the group as everyone muttered in discomfort. Peggy saw Herc pull on his beanie for five consecutive times before Alex's voice pierced the quietness,startling her." I KNOW AN ADULT WITH AUTHORITY."

"Hamilton?" Both Angelica and Thomas said and both with very different tones.

Alex shot up from where he was lying and practically shouted, "I'm adopted by one! My father is George Washington and he knew the Burrs! We should, no we MUST ask him!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for your patience and your comments! I know I've been updating quite sparsely but once I get my computer I promise to update more regularly (quite hard to write on your phone!). I hope you liked this chapter and please tell me what you think by commenting!


	14. Chapter 14

_Thank goodness Martha is visiting her family._ George stared at the children, his very own students, standing at his front door in the dead of night. His own son Alexander was grinning at him as he walked inside, leading his crew of friends and oddly enough, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. George sighed as he mentally prepared for his son’s schemes while locking the door behind them.

“Make yourself comfortable,” he said at the kids in the living room. “You teens must be tired after doing what I hope was legal. Alexander, a word.” The boy clicked his tongue and followed George into the kitchen, not a trace of concern on his boyish face. Alex grabbed a bottle of coke from the fridge and was about to run back into the living room when George asked, “Alexander Hamilton, is there anything you’d like to enlighten your father about?”

“It’s about Aaron Burr.”

“ _Alexander_.”

“Dad, look, I know you told me to mind my own business but this is something is a special case.” Alex’s voice was filled with determination and George knew his son will pester him until he agrees to help. Although he was concerned about the ‘special case’ regarding Aaron. He knew the boy was an orphan but surely this won’t make him a special case in Alex’s eyes since he was also an orphan prior to being adopted. It was then Eleanor Madison’s voice rang in his head.

_You don’t know what that boy is going through behind the curtains._

He felt Alex hug him and heard him mutter, “there are injustices in the world that I need to correct.”

 

-

“That’s why we came here to you, sir” the eldest Schuyler explained. George was impressed with how the girl spoke; similar to Alexander but less brash with a certain high-class style reminiscent of the Schuylers and the Van Rensselaers marking her speech. However, what surprised him the most was Margarita’s role in this. The usually shy cautious Margarita appeared to be the voice of reason in her and Mulligan’s (questionably lawful) mission to obtain evidence at Edwards’ house. “Mr. Washington sir? What are your thoughts?”

George pursed his lips as he analyzed Aaron’s past behavior in and outside of school. The boy’s demeanor _did_ match with what he was told and Margarita provided hard evidence. “James, you said that your parents want to adopt the Burrs and that Sarah is in Connecticut?” James nodded and told him that they were godbrothers. “It’s a good thing that you teens have some photos because this will help convince the authorities. Now comes an even harder part since now we need to reach out to Aaron. The last thing we need is for him to recant any statements about abuse because he does not feel safe enough to come forward. Even if he does he’ll still need support and while James has and is doing his best Aaron will need it at school until we get him out of there.” George saw Alexander’s rather displeased face. “Alex?”

Alex breathed in and said,” While that is a great plan dad, there is still an issue that is Burr keeps it quiet. He smiles and he is courteous don’t get me wrong. But it is near impossible to get him to express any opinions or personal information.”

Thomas snorted. “In Aaron’s defense, why would anyone want to share their opinions with you?”

“LisTEN HERE JEFFERDI-“

“I can have him go to your office, Mr. Washington,” James said in a firm voice. “I can pretend that you wanted to discuss something with me and I’ll ask Aaron to accompany me.” Once James finished speaking, he lightly punched Thomas’ arm while Angelica smacked Alex’s nape, scolding for almost coming after Thomas. “If that doesn’t work then I’ll ring Matthias up.” George raised an eyebrow at the name and asked James who Matthias was. “He’s Aaron’s friend from back in Newark. They were always pretty close and I know for a fact that they still keep in touch. I’m older than Aaron so he might be a bit uncomfortable telling me all the things that happen with Edwards but I’m certain he would have told Matthias.”

Margarita piped up, saying, “But he’s in Newark. It’s in a different state.”

“Yeah, it’s in a different state but it’s in  New Jersey,” Alexander said in an mocking manner. “New Jersey is kind of like, extended New York. Our state doesn’t have room for everything so we just kinda dump some of the crap in there,” he paused, “Dad. Please don’t look at me like that. You know I’m right.”

Elizabeth, his son’s girlfriend (George still was not too sure of how Alex wooed her) commented, “Even so, you shouldn’t say things like that. I know you’re not the biggest fan of New Jersey but it happens to be Burr’s home state. I mean how angry would you be if someone described New York as a cesspool of rats and scum.” Alex threw up his hands defensively only to be shushed by his girlfriend. “That’s why you shouldn’t say that New Jersey is New York’s dumpster. Many good things originated in New Jersey.”

John Laurens, who was slouching on the couch and sipping on a glass of coke, raised his hand. “I’m actually interested in that. Lizzie, _what did originate in New Jersey?”_

"Well the first saltwater taffy was produced in New Jersey in the 1870s,” she said. “And the first submarine was built there.”

 

-

“Good night, Mr. Washington!” Alex’s friends (and schoolmates) waved him goodbye as they left their home. George hoped they, especially the girls, wouldn’t get into too much trouble because of his son (considering he was the one who dragged them into their house). Locking the door, George’s thoughts were entirely focused on getting the Esther and Aaron Sr.’s son away from his uncle. Perhaps once the boy moves in with the Madisons, James was adamant that his parents would take the boy in, Sarah Burr could reunite with her brother. According to James, Sarah ran off to Connecticut with her boyfriend because of the abuse. ‘In the last letter she wrote to Aaron, Sarah said she and Tapping are going to go to back to Litchfield,’ James told him.

George wondered what exactly did Timothy Edwards do to frighten his niece into fleeing to a different state.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An update!!! I've recently finished all my exams and I bought a new laptop so now it should be much easier to write since prior to this week I had to write on my phone because my old laptop broke down. Thank you guys for all your lovely comments and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	15. Chapter 15

She missed Newark.

Sarah stroked Tapping’s sleeping face, felt him pull her closer to his wonderfully broad chest. It’s been almost four years, or five, years since she’s last been in New Jersey. Her twentieth birthday was coming up and she knew her darling Tapping wanted to take her home to Newark, to her parents’ house. ‘It’s not that important,’ she had told him. ‘There’s nothing for me back there. Connecticut is my home now.’ It was true; she finished high school in Connecticut with the Reeve family’s help and had been jumping from one city to another.

Sarah rubbed the silver ring that Tapping gave her and couldn’t help but grin. She’s going to marry her high school sweetheart, she’ll live with him here in Litchfield in their tiny house near the park. And maybe, once Aaron is free from _him_ , she could finally see her baby brother.

The guilt still gnaws at her; it wasn’t an easy decision she made in New York. If Sarah could, she would have run away from that monster with her brother. Aaron was a small child, eleven years old, and Sarah wished she could have taken him with her. Even now, whenever she reads his letters to her she feels guilt gnawing at her gut and burning through her like a wooden house on fire. _I was scared. I STILL AM. Mom and Dad only have themselves to blame for what happened to the our family. If they had just stayed home instead of going to that stupid event then we’d still be happy._

“Sarah?” Tapping’s soft hand wiped the tears she didn’t know were there. “What’s wrong? Did you have a nightmare?” Her boyfriend’s, no, her fiancé’s voice was such a powerful reassurance.  She was safe, in Litchfield, away from Timothy.

“It’s fine, dear.” Sarah kissed him sweetly. “I just, it’s just… Am I bad sister?” Before he could even answer, she continued, “I mean I left Aaron with that horrid excuse of a person. Aaron’s my little brother and he was such a sweet kid and _I left him._ ”

“Sally, you were also a kid,” Tapping said. “I don’t know what to say about leaving Aaron behind but it’s not your fault. Both of you were frightened of your uncle and it’s not a sin to escape him. Timothy is the one who should be filled with guilt,” Tapping growled the last part. “Not you, not your brother. Neither of you are the guilty parties.” Tapping held her close, muttering some legal loopholes they can use to adopt her brother while rubbing her back. Sarah leaned in to his touch and closed her eyes. She wondered how Aaron looks like now. How James looks like. _James is probably taller than me by now. His siblings are probably unrecognizable to me since they were so little back then. Littler than Aaron._

“You know my dad used to be a pastor?”

“Yeah what about it?”

“Nothing really. Both my mom and dad were religious folks. My uncle is also religious but the wrong kind of religious. Dad would read The Good Book to us on Sundays while Timothy regularly beat me with it and call me names.” She shot a look to the side. “He used to call me a whore and a slutwhen I came back to the house late.”

-

James rubbed Aaron’s back reassuringly. ‘Mr. Washington called me to discuss the lights for the upcoming play,’ he had explained. He insisted, almost demanded, that Aaron accompany him even though he knew that Aaron was not a fan of George Washington. The man was undoubtedly a capable teacher, principal, and father but something about his character unnerved him.

“Come on in,’ a voice said when the knocked on the beaten-up door. “Ah, James Madison and Aaron Burr! Thank you for coming on time.” He looked at Aaron, “Don’t worry, son. It won’t take long. Have a seat.” Washington sounded kind enough although being called ‘son’ was not appreciated. The only people who called him that after his own mother and father passed were his godparents Eleanor and James Sr. Occasionally Uncle would call him that.

He didn’t really pay attention to whatever they were saying but the principal’s gaze would drift towards him every now and then. That disturbed him because _what if he can see one of the bruises. Maybe some of the welts are visible? I covered everything up with makeup this morning just in case. Better safe than sorry._ His uncle added more purple marks to his body last night due to a disagreement. Uncle had accused him of being the reason his sister, Aaron’s mother, died and Aaron hotly denied it. It ended badly with him being locked in the closet for most of the night.

Out of nowhere he felt a touch to his shoulder and instinctively froze up. “Aaron? Are you alright?” Washington pulled away immediately when he jolted. To his disgust, he could feel his hands starting to slightly tremble. Instead balled his hands into fists, smiled sweetly and nodded. He hoped James and him were done talking and that they could leave the wretched office.

“Sorry, sir! I was just lost in thoughts.”

Washington was clearly a bit shaken. “Ah, of course,” he said awkwardly. “Happens to everyone. Anyway, thank you Madison for taking the time to come here and Burr for your patience. Have a good day!” Washington patted their heads before they left and Aaron heard an exasperated sigh once the door was shut. He frowned for a moment, shook his head, and turned towards his friend who offered out his hand to hold.

“Do you want to bother Thomas until he buys us drinks?”

He chuckled. “Sure! Sounds fun.”

 


	16. Chapter 16

_I don't like this. Not one bit._ Margarita 'Peggy' Schuyler frowned at Timothy Edwards who at this very moment was drinking tea with her mother and father. She never was a fan of his occasional visits to their house but now she could not stand it. This man sipped on tea with a polite smile on his face is the same person who beat children. Timothy Edwards did have a certain resemblance though; their smiles were similar in a way but Aaron's was much sweeter. His nephew was probably still at home if James is to be believed, which he was. The Madisons in general were trustworthy people in Peggy's experience. Her mom, Catherine, let Angelica and Eliza go out with their friends so it was just her, her parents, and Timothy Edwards at home. 

Needless to say, he was a bit unnerving.

Philip Schuyler, Peggy's father, was so different to his conversation partner it was ridiculous. Her dad was stern yet kind with enough love for his wife and three daughers. Edwards couldn't love his sister's children so he decided to scare them with violence. Neither of her parents ever hit her or her sisters in anger and to Edwards it was a hobby, if the photos were anything to go by. She genuinely hoped that Aaron gets adopted by the Madisons. They're a nice family and would love him like parents should.  _Alexander got his happy ending with the Washingtons. Aaron deserves his with the Madisons. Aaron and Sarah._

She could not and would not imagine a life without her beloved parents. Her mom with her soft dark skin and curly black hair kissed Peggy every morning before school and held her close when she cried; her dad had a wise appearance that his glasses only intensifies and he was very generous with hugs. Peggy loved them with unfathomable strength and would love them until her dying day.

Hiding away in her room, Peggy slipped into the least intimidating outfit she could find. A yellow dress with a butterfly print and floral sneakers. She even put on thick black tights for warmth. Hercules did his share by taking those pictures while she was at home; now it was Peggy's turn. She's always had a neutral relationship with Aaron Burr, unlike Angelica and Eliza who were still internally cringing from the boy's flirting back in Newark, and had a shot at talking with him normally. Everyone had some sort of agenda with Aaron. Hamilton was the rival, Mr. Washington the authority, James the adoptive older brother... Everyone except her. Peggy is going to be that neutral party. "Mom! I'm going over to ah, I'm going to the mall!"

"Have fun, sweetie!" her mother called out from the living room and her father waved cheerfully from where he sat. As Peggy put on her favorite red jacket, her mom came up and hugged her from behind. She kissed her forehead and smiled a smile that was filled with love and affection. "Be safe, my Munchkin."

Margarita 'Peggy' Schuyler frowned as she walked out the house. Tears welled in her eyes and she thanked God that her precious parents were still with her and not in the skies.

-

_What on Earth is she doing here at six o'clock in the evening?_ Aaron Burr Jr. furrowed his brows at girl in the yellow dress who at this very moment was standing on his, or more accurately his uncle's, doorstep. No one usually visits their house and with good reason. His uncle never liked inviting people over though his mother told him as a child that Uncle Timothy was quite the party-goer in his youth. Also their house wasn't like the Schuyler House with its happy blues and whites, the Edwards House was straight from a vampire novel. The inside was fine but its the outside that Aaron assumed frightened people. The porch and the roof were dark and grim forcing people to hurry past it. Noticing how Peggy's hands kept balling into fist and creasing her pretty dress, Aaron invited her inside and offered her tea which she accepted.

Her clothes stood out starkly in his comparison. Peggy, her entire family really, wore bright colors whereas Uncle Timothy preferred more conservative colors. Dark blues, blacks and browns made up most of his and his uncle's clothes. Though Aaron was thankfully allowed to wear some color as long as it wasn't 'outrageous'. Peggy was shining like a star in her dress. She also resembled a bee a little with the black tights, much to the boy's amusement. 

The kettle hissed and puffed as it boiled the water while Aaron set the kitchen table before pulling out the strawberry tarts and cucumber sandwiches he and his uncle made together earlier that day. For someone who tends to be in a snippy mood, Uncle Timothy could actually be quite pleasant. Only if Aaron hadn't done anything wrong, of course. 

Aaron couldn't help but grin a bit when Peggy complimented the tea set Aaron used. The cups were made of porcelain, with pastel butterflies and flowers painted delicately. This set was his favorite as it brought back memories of summer and his best friend. Matthias and him were once playing soccer in the backyard and accidentally smashed one of the cups. His dad had to calm them both down because Matthias was shrieking and apologizing while Aaron was losing it and fell on the grass laughing. The set belonged to his parents and reminded Aaron of them. He was eleven when they passed and every now and then, when it took one minute too long to recall their faces Aaron panicked. His mom and dad may have died four years ago and he may have to live with his uncle but his memories of his parents were and will always be his to cherish.

"So," he took a seat across from Peggy. "What brings you here? Your dad or my uncle?"

Aaron Burr Jr. furrowed his brows at Peggy's obviously uncomfortable laughter. His face grew grey to hear when she began to explain the suspicious events which had happened recently.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey can you tell that I actually love Peggy with all my heart? I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and please leave a comment telling me what you think!


	17. Chapter 17

To say that Alex was surprised would be an understatement. The strength of the knocks (or more appropriately, bangs) on the front door had him thinking it was one of The Boys. Finding Aaron Burr there, with Peggy not far behind, caught Alex off guard. He could practically feel Burr's anger sending a shiver up his spine; unlike Alex's red hot fiery fury, Burr expressed displeasure through words that cut like a knife and felt like icicles piercing through one's core. "Hi. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"I need to see Washington," Burr said, without a smile.  _This is uncharacteristically straightforward of him,_ Alex thought. 

"Dad's out. He decided to relax a bit tonight. Which basically means he's going to potter around Central for like two hours before returning with some takeout." He grinned ar Burr despite Peggy frantically shaking her hands from behind Burr. "How may  ** _I_** be of service, Aaron Burr, Sir?" The other boy rolled his eyes and walked past him, telling Alex that he'll just wait for Washington to come home. Alex, on his part, actually felt excitement creep up onto him. This was for too interesting of behavior for Alex to just kick him out. Peggy followed them inside, staring at him for a good two minutes. Her big brown peepers were overflowing with concern and practically saying 'Keep your mouth shut for once."

In the living room Burr was pacing from wall to wall, hands behind his back. He reminded Alex of Dad a bit. Except Dad was a grown-ass man while Burr was a fifteen year old kid with issues.  _Man,_ Alex thought,  _give the guy a cape and he'll look like some brooding eighteenth century man who's worrying about an upcoming duel._ "Listen, is there any particular reason you want to have a chat with my father? I get that he's pretty cool dude but surely you're not going to waste a couple of hours waiting for him to show the fuck up? George Washington takes his time."

He stopped. He turned to him, eyes cold and tired and angry. "Peggy told me, man. She told me how you guys spied and schemed behind my back."

Alex shot her a look to which she just shrugged. "In my defense," he explained. "it was mostly Herc and the Virginians. I got wrapped up in this when we got together and discussed. Now, of course I' had my suspicions as well but I was kinda upset that you'd hang with Jefferson over me. Spent most of last week chilling with John, really. Everything he says pisses me off, as you know, but I played no part in the spying schemes. That was orchestrated by Herc and Pegs. By the way, you've left a huge impression on Herc because he doesn't spy just like that. Only for things he believes in."

"Which is what? That I'm a sad little orphan?" Aaron turned around. "You're an orphan too but I don't see anyone pitying you! I just wanted to live a normal life! If that means being beaten by my Uncle then so be it!" He froze, eyes flying wide open as he covered his mouth. In a hushed tone he muttered, "Forget it."

"AH-HA," Alexander shouted. "So you do admit to it!"   
  
He felt sudden a pain at the back of his knee and before he knew it, he was rolling on the floor. "What Alex means by that is that Mr. Edwards is responsible for those bruises," he heard Peggy say. "It's just some people have trouble with impulse control, you know? Alex is, oh so unfortunately, one of those people. But," she paused," it is true, isn't it? That Mr. Edwards- that he- the bruise"  
  
"Peggy, it's fine. You can say that he beats me." Alex heard Aaron's voice break a bit. "It's fine though. I'm fifteen now so three more years and I'll be independent. I made do the last four years, didn't I?"  
  
By the time Alex managed to get up from the ground, Peggy squeezed out of Burr more info than three guys and his dad combined. "Buddy, pal, friend, just because you lived like that for four years doesn't mean you an continue living in perpetual terror for the next three. I jumped from foster families like a ping pong ball after my cuz offed himself and yet I still found a loving home. You bounced from your grandfather to your uncle but you deserve to live in safety. I've seen the photos and those are some gnarly welts. I spent time in some bad foster homes but I wasn't ever beaten black and blue. Burr, you do know that this shit isn't normal?"

"No shit, Hamilton!" Burr snapped. "Don't talk as if I am willingly staying with my uncle. I'm not but I don't have a choice. He's my legal guardian since my grandpa gave us up due to his health. My house is a jail and my uncle is jailer. I'm not standing still like I know some think. I'm lying in wait. I'm already preparing my documents and papers so once I hit my eighteenth birthday I can jump ship but to do that I need to **wait**. Good things happen to those who wait and I won't fuck up my chances because of rushed thinking."

"What if you don't live to see te see those good things, huh?" Alexander raised his voice with each word. "My admittedly quick behavior landed me with the Washingtons and I haven't been as happy as I am with them my whole life. What if you die before you turn eighteen? Your uncle is quite good at coming up with excuses so some day he'll be living his life while you'll be six feet deep with no one there. If you stand for nothing then what will you fall for?" 

_SMACK!_

His left cheek burned and he thought,  _Oh boy I think I crossed a line._ He glanced up and was shocked to see it was Peggy who slapped him, not Burr. However, when he looked at Burr Alex suddenly felt like shit. The guy's eyes were rimmed with water as his hands were balled to fists. "Alex. What the HELL?" Peggy yelled.

Offering his hand to Burr he felt both their eyes burning through him. "Burr, no.  _Aaron,_ I didn't mean the last part. I got carried away and, well, I'm sorry. I really am it's just you're so frustrating. But I guess that I am frustrating to you. So, um, sorry?" He smiled at Burr, Aaron, and hoped that the guy would shake his hand because uneasiness was builidng in the air faster Laf's verses.

"...fine." Aaron shook his hand gingerly. From the corner of his eye he saw Peggy's frown lessen. 

"Coolcoolcoolcool. Are you guys hungry? We might as well eat while waiting for my dad."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are finally having some progress jfc. I didn't expect Peggy to have such a big role but what can I say? I love her. Anyway I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and please leave a comment telling me what you think!


	18. Chapter 18

 

“Alex, son, why do you have a bruise on your face?”

“We have the most delightful of company, Father Dearest!” Alex smiled brightly at him as he led George into the living room. There sat the most unlikely pair to ever visit his son: Margarita Schuyler and Aaron Burr Junior. Both were visibly uncomfortable. Peggy smiled nervously upon seeing George while Aaron pursed his lips, shooting a look at Alex. “Dad, Burr said he wants to talk to you.”

“Privately, if possible,” Aaron added. The boy was so jaded he looked twice his age. Something about him reminded George of Aaron’s father. Both were so serious compared to the Burr women and, truth be told, everyone else.

George nodded and patted Alex’s back. “We can talk in my study. I brought some sweets so Alex, why don’t you and Margarita have some tea with them.

“Yeah, sure no problem. Peggy,” Alex said, “let’s go.” George handed his son the bag of sweets before offering a hand to Aaron, who courteously declined. _Timothy Edwards’ manners,_ he thought. George did not mind it; he was more concerned why Aaron showed up at half past eight in the evening on Saturday. He ushered to boy into the room and said “So what would you like to discuss with me?”

Aaron sat by George’s side where his son usually sat. Unlike Alex, there were no bursting questions or rude interruptions from Aaron. The boy on the chair now had perfect manners and balled fists. “Sir, I have to return home soon so I’ll get straight to the point. Peggy, she told me about this whole spy circle that formed because of me and that you were a part of it? I’m aware that the main parties are Peggy herself and Hercules but you knew of it?”

George sighed. “I did. You’re right, I did know about it. Alex and his friends came over one night and explained your situation. I agreed to aid them since I was the only figure of authority they could speak to honestly.”

“So… you’ve seen the photos of my bruises? The ones that Hercules took?” George nodded. “Did you report Uncle Timothy yet?”

“No, I haven’t. It would’ve been useless to report when there was a chance of you denying the allegations. You know your Uncle is a respectable figure here. The authorities would believe him.” George glanced at Aaron and the poor child looked like he was about to snap at any moment. “Aaron, would you like me to report your Uncle?” Aaron shook his head. “Can you tell me why?”

Aaron’s eyes began to water and turned his head away from George. “Because then I’ll be in an orphanage or with some foster family in Ohio. At least I know my Uncle. I’ve known him since birth. As strict as he is he lets me write letters to my friend back in Newark and he’s nice. Sometimes. He promised to pay my college tuition too and I can’t get that kind of security from a foster family or an orphanage. Yeah, he beats me and it hurts a lot but I know him.” He was shaking.

“Son, I-“

“Mr. Washington, Sir, please don’t call me son.”

“…Aaron. You don’t have to rely on your Uncle for security. Your late parents left you with quite an inheritance that should be more than enough to provide for you well into university. Your uncle may be your guardian but you’re your parents’ heir since your sister um. Since she left without a trace.” George, gingerly, placed a firm hand on Aaron’s shoulder. “Would you like me to report your Uncle?”

Aaron buried his face into his hands, refusing to look George in the eye. “The second thing Uncle Timothy hears that he’s been reported he’ll beat me and threaten me into silence. I know him. I would’ve reported him myself if I didn’t think he would hurt me physically.” George’s eyes widened when he heard muffled whimpers come from Aaron. “I want my Mom and Dad but they’re six feet underground in Newark. I want my sister but she’s somewhere in Connecticut with her fiancé. I want Matthias but he’s an entire state away. I want to be normal…”

George wrapped his arms around the crying child and asked one more time, “Aaron, son, would you like me to report your Uncle? I won’t let him hit you in retaliation because I will nor force you to go back to him. If you want we can report him right now. Or you can spend the night here and we can go to the police center tomorrow morning. Together. We can even call Mrs. Madison if you want her to come. It’s going to be alright.”

Holding Aaron like this was very reminiscent of Alexander’s first night at home. His son had trouble adjusting so Martha held him close to her chest when he woke up in tears. George never thought he’d end up holding another crying child besides Alexander but here he was, rubbing circles on Aaron’s back as the boy trembled between sobs. He could feel welts beneath the clothes and saw a scar on Aaron’s nape. He frowned with disdain. He wasn’t going to let Aaron back into Edwards’ arms. _What kind of man will I be if I just let the abuse go on? Children aren’t responsible for their parents’ actions and they should never be beaten like a punching bag. What in the Lord’s name is wrong with Timothy Edwards?_

He was so deep in his thoughts that George hadn’t noticed how much time passed until Aaron went limp in his arms. Aaron, probably exhausted from this entire ordeal, was fast asleep. _Cried himself to sleep._ George picked him up in his arms, softly exited his study, and went up the stairs. Alex and Margarita must’ve noticed him since he could hear quick footsteps running up the stairs.

“Dad, what’s up?” Alex asked.

He pulled off Aaron’s sweater before laying a blanket over him. _He is so much younger when he’s asleep,_ thought George. “Aaron will be spending the night here, Son. I think I should drive our guest home. It’s already quarter past night so I would hate to send her out alone at such a late hour. Try not to wake Aaron, alright son? We’ve got a busy day tomorrow.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh this was so satisfying to write and I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter as much as I liked writing it! I'm sorry the updates have been slower! I'm drowning in assignments and my laptop went nuts. But the holidays are coming and my laptop will be fixed then so updates should be quicker in the near future but no solid promises! 
> 
> I'll never abandon this fic though. I will finish it no matter what so don't worry about that :3
> 
> Please leave a comment and tell me what you think!


	19. Chapter 19

Talk less. Smile more.

Those were the words that governed Aaron Burr Jr.’s life. They helped him get through the car crash that took his parents away from him. They helped him when his beloved sister Sally ran away. They helped him survive his uncle and most importantly, they helped him through adoption.

After the extremely uncomfortable night at the Washington house, the very night when he slapped Alexander Hamilton so hard a bruise formed on his cheek, Mr. Washington (as Hamilton and Peggy told him) called his godmother Eleanor Madison. By the time she came over to the house Aaron already woke up because Hamilton screamed at a text from his girlfriend Eliza. Mrs. Madison absolutely lost it when she saw the bruises and welts and scars decorating Aaron’s skin; she immediately hugged him right then and there. Despite already being the mother of nine children, Eleanor insisted on taking Aaron in.

The hardest part was facing Uncle Timothy. They could not exactly bring allegations against him because Timothy had friends in high places. However, though he does not how, Washington managed to convince him to give up Aaron for adoption. Aaron doesn’t particularly care about the process since they got the results but Hamilton sure was interested.

“You must be out of your GOD. DAMN. MIND.”

“I’m from Virginia so watch your mouth, son.”

The school year was ending and everyone had plans for the summer. Mostly everyone. The Schuylers were going upstate where they were going to stay in their dad’s summer house. Lafayette already had tickets to France to go see his family while Hercules and John Laurens were going to stay in New York. Hamilton, however, was not. “I can’t believe this! First, you don’t tell me the juicy details about the whole Edwards situation and now you are forcing me, condemning me to spend the summer holidays in Mount Vernon, _Virginia._ ”

Before Hamilton could say more, Jefferson yelled from across the table, “You’re going to Virginia? Why would someone as uncultured as you come to our great state?”

“Bold of you to assume that I would ever visit your state willingly!”

At this Washington must have had enough of his son's trashing of Virginia because he gave him _the look_. That look was enough to terrify full grown adults and to silence his obnoxious son. “We’ll be visiting my parents back home. I heard you’re going to Virginia as well, Thomas.”

Thomas grinned. “You would be correct, Mr. Washington. I finally get to go home to good ol’ Charlottesville. The Madisons will be joining us too, actually. I think they're planning to go to New Jersey first.”

Which was nice of them. Eleanor and James Sr. decided to spend the first half of summer in Newark, New Jersey before travelling to Orange, Virginia. They will be staying at the Burr Family home that was right next to where his best friend Matthias lived. Aaron could barely wait to see him. Now that his new parents had gifted him a new phone and laptop he and Matthias were constantly texting each other or video chatting. He’s still waiting to hear from Sally. Hopefully he can attend her wedding, she did say she and Tapping were now engaged.

“Dad, even New Jersey is better than Virginia and we all know what New Jersey is! It’s just extended New York where we- “

“Dump some of our garbage. Yes, you made sure you everyone knew that, Hamilton,” Aaron said.

The boy looked at Aaron with an awkward smile and said, “I am right though. You have got to admit that I do have a point. My statement is not built on baseless grounds. Guys, come on.”

This school year was rough. It was really rough and Aaron was surprised that he managed to live through it. Not only did he survive it he now lived with an actual mother and father and siblings. James was the best older brother in existence, he was sure of that. Eleanor and James Sr., who he still can’t call ‘Mom’ and ‘Dad’ despite his efforts, were sweet to him. Not once did they shout at him or hit him or any of the other kids. Even with ten screaming children in their house they made time for all of them. Especially for Aaron.

He supposed he could allow himself to talk and smile even more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this was a wild ride! My longest fanfiction yet has finally come to and end after more than a year. I hope you guys enjoyed this conclusion and thank you for staying with me throughout the chapters. I hope you guys not only enjoyed this chapter but the whole story! Please leave a comment telling me what you think!


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